Sydney Dorsey-Rencher, the owner of The Kidd Creations, is a new photographer in Tallahassee, and it’s safe to say she has pretty big goals for her business.
A Chicago native, Dorsey-Rencher is a broadcast journalism student at Florida A&M University. She initially pursued her passion for volleyball at Grambling State University and Mississippi Valley State University. Once the programs at both schools failed to deliver the journey she envisioned, she decided it was time for a change.
She made the decision to come to FAMU.
“I chose this school because I wanted a college that had everything that I didn’t have before. I wanted a university that had a high graduation rate for my major,” Dorsey-Rencher said. “That was essential, because back at home I know a lot of people that have a degree and work as waiters and I didn’t want to do that.”
Although Dorsey-Rencherchose not to continue playing volleyball, she found a new interest in photography. It wasn’t a goal for Dorsey-Rencher when she arrived at FAMU. However, her passion for photography was reignited when she arrived at FAMU.
“I started shooting in 2017, then I put my camera back down because when I was in high school, I was told it won’t make you any money. It is more of a hobby,” Dorsey-Rencher said. “When I got to FAMU, I started doing little projects here and there, and then my clientele just began to blossom. Since then, it’s been passion over money.”
Coming to a new market, there were bound to be some significant differences between her hometown of Chicago and Tallahassee. She took on the challenge of making a name for herself and her business.
“Chicago has more places where you can be creative and also take pictures for many different photo shoots. The target audience is very different,” she said. “In Chicago, you have business, brands, events, concerts, and so much more. Versus in Tallahassee, it caters to more college students.”
Since utilizing her skills in photography, she has been able to be involved in every aspect of the craft. Her favorite is lifestyle photography, events, and sports. Dorsey-Rencher uses top name-brand cameras and equipment such as Nikon, Canon, and Sony. She also shoots videos with her Sony A7IV using a variety of lenses for multiple situations.
Dorsey-Rencher has already accumulated quite the clientele, working with different students on and off campus.
“[She made] the experience very comfortable. I’ve never done something on campus such as someone taking pictures of me in the library with everyone walking past,” said Isaiah Clayborn, a recent client of The Kidd Creations. “She made me feel like [the distractions] didn’t matter, and we were here to make my vision happen.”
Her connections with FAMU have gotten her to work with some of the greatest in the industry while allowing her creativity to flourish. “[FAMU] has gotten me in places I never imagined myself in,” she said.
“I would say she has a vision and also [how] she plans to attack that exact vision but also allows her creativity to take over,” stated Jalynn Watson, a close friend of Dorsey-Rencher. “Her style is very unique.”
Although Dorsey-Rencher’s journey at FAMU started only last semester, she has already established herself as one of the new up-and-coming photographers who is going to shake up the scene.